Oklahoma casino to close in December
The Eastern Shawnee Tribe from Oklahoma announced it will close its Bordertown Casino next December after serious assessment of their overall business plan.
US.- As the gaming industry evolves, some operators thrive on evolution, but some fail. Such is the case of the Eastern Shawnee Tribe from Oklahoma, which announced it will have to close its Bordertown Casino.
The tribe revealed it conducted a serious assessment of their overall business plan and determined to shut down the venue. The Oklahoma casino opened in 2003 but will live only until next December 15.
“There are currently no plans for the use of the Bordertown facility,” casino general manager Melanie Heskett said. “The times at Bordertown had been good since it reopened in April 2015.”
While workers in Oklahoma may have worried about the closure of the casino, they will be relocated. Tribal officials revealed there’s room for them in the Indigo Sky or the Outpost Casino.
Tribal gaming
The National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC) has released its latest financial report, in which it details operations from Native American tribes in 2018. Gross gaming revenue (GGR) from fiscal year 2018 reached US$33.7 billion, the highest in Indian gaming history.
The US$33.7 billion figure also represents a 4.1% increase over the previous fiscal year. NIGC said that all of its administrative regions experienced positive revenue growth in fiscal 2018. The commission highlighted the Portland Region, as it featured the highest growth with an 8.2% increase. The Oklahoma City region also registered a 7.3% growth.
NIGC Vice Chair Kathryn Isom-Clause said that the GGR calculation process is an example of the partnership between the tribes and the commission to ensure effective regulation for a successful tribal gaming industry. “These numbers reaffirm the industry’s health as a stable economic driver for Indian Country,” she said.
